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This invention relates to pet toys that are designed to contain food, and in particular to the closure which seals the food in the toy.
Prior Artxe2x80x94FIG. 1
When left alone, animals frequently become discontented and bored. This is cruel to the animals and leads to behavior problems such as barking, digging, and destructive activities on the part of canines and different problems with other animals. To alleviate this problem, Hamilton, in U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 5,894,815 (1999) has provided an apparatus which presents challenges to animals when they are fed, for example, by burying their food in brushes, dipsticks, and the like. This apparatus is feasible and useful, but is not especially suitable for canines. Training can help alleviate this problem in canines, but it is generally inadequate in the long term.
Another approach to the problem is to provide the dog with an activity that is fun, rewarding, and long-lasting. This is the purpose of toys sold under the trademarks Kong by Kong, Inc. of Golden, Colo., USA, and Rhino by Nylabone, a division of T.F.H. Publications of Neptune City, N.J., USA. Such a toy is also shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,947,061 (1999) and 6,129,053 (2000) to Markham et al. This toy has various recesses in its outer surface, as well as a hollow interior. Food treats are deposited in the recesses and interior. Various levels of difficulty in removing the treats are achieved, depending upon the location, density, solubility, adhesion, and so forth, of the food treats and the shape of toy.
A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the Kong toy is shown in FIG. 1. The body of toy 100 is made of a rugged, semi-elastic material such as rubber. It is hollow with a first hole 105 at one end (bottom end in drawing) and a second hole 110 at the other end (top end in drawing). The hardness of the rubber comprising toy 100 is about 100 durometer units. A dog""s bite can slightly deform toy 100, but not flatten it. Toy 100 is available in various sizes suitable for dogs of different sizes. A typical size is 14 cm long and 8 cm in diameter, at the widest point. The wall thickness is typically 1.5 cm. The diameter of hole 105 at the bottom of toy 100 is typically 1 cm, while the diameter of hole 110 at the top is typically 3.2 cm.
Food 130 of various kinds is stuffed into cavity 140 of toy 100. Food 130 can be dry or wet dog food, fruits, cheese, meat, eggs, peanut butter, and the like. It can be hot, cold, or frozen.
A xe2x80x9ctantalizerxe2x80x9d food piece 150 (shaped like a medicine capsule) may be placed in hole 105 to attract the dog. Hole 105 is generally too small to permit entry of the dog""s tongue or dispensing of any contents.
Hole 110 is the primary entrance and exit for food 130. An xe2x80x9cappetizerxe2x80x9d tidbit 160 (shaped like a bone) projects from hole 110 to entice the dog to begin eating the contents of toy 100.
While the above prior-art design is useful when toy 100 is filled and then carefully handed to a dog, it suffers from several deficiencies. If appetizer tidbit 160 does not completely occlude hole 110, food 130 can spill out, especially if one or more components are liquid or semi-liquid. If toy 100 is thrown some distance, appetizer 160 can dislodge and food 130 can spill out and be lost as toy 100 flies and lands. When chewed by the dog, appetizer 160 is likely to be sheared at plane 170 at the entrance to hole 110. After being sheared, the remainder of appetizer 160 can adhere to food 130 inside toy 100 and prevent the dog from reaching food 130. The dog can also force the wide end of appetizer 160 into orifice 110, thereby occluding it and preventing the dog from reaching food 130.
Various inedible closures, such as bottle corks and jar lids, have been used throughout history to seal containers. None has been used as a closure for a food-filled pet toy, and there would be no advantage in doing so. If an inedible closure were extracted in whole or in part, it may be swallowed by the animal and cause choking or digestive distress. Inedible closures made of hard materials, such as metal, ceramic or plastic would likely damage a dog""s teeth when extracted. Inedible closures made of soft materials, such as cork or soft wood, would likely fragment under a dog""s bite and increase the likelihood that the dog would swallow the inedible material in the act of extraction.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention are to provide an improved amusing and challenging pet toy, to provide such a toy especially suitable for canines, which has a hole and a closure which cannot be sheared and fall inside the toy or get stuck in the opening. Other objects are to provide an improved plug for such a toy, to provide an edible plug which seals the large orifice in the toy, prevents spillage of the contents, is not apt to fall out prematurely, is readily dislodged by the dog, will not injure the dog when chewed or swallowed, and which will not block the orifice if sheared or fractured. The result is a closure that is effective, yet can be dislodged by the dog at the proper time.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings.
In accordance with the invention, an edible seal plug is provided which is a conic or cylindrical section with radial cuts. It securely closes the entrance to the toy, preventing spillage of its contents. In addition, the novel seal plug""s construction is such it does not block the main orifice in the toy when it is sheared or fractured at the toy""s entrance.